Landa said that it will be starting beta tests sometime in 2015 after potential beta customers visit the Landa headquarters in Israel in March. It seems likely that Landa should have a market-ready product Read more »

The new generation of ‘B2’ format sheet fed presses from HP Indigo and several other suppliers has caused interest and excitement since their first unveiling two years ago. Today about 140 B2 presses are operating worldwide, and that total is growing. InfoTrends recently interviewed 40 current users of B2 presses and also surveyed 200 prospects for the technology in Europe and North America, in order to understand the status and outlook for B2 digital systems, which are available now from Delphax, Fujifilm, HP Indigo, and Screen, with more to come. The results are charted and interpreted in the new report, Opportunities and Challenges in B2 Digital.

As we look back on the new product announcements from 2013, I have to admit that the year was largely overshadowed by drupa 2012 and the many new and exciting technologies shown there. We were especially eager to see the new B2 products enter the market in 2013, but it has proven to be a rather slow process. As analysts with many years in the industry, we experienced that launch schedules are overly optimistic side and that the actual product launches often seem to drag on forever. But the announcements from drupa 2012 seem to have taken these delays to a new dimension.

It seems that the duration from the first tech demo toÂ the beta test phase and then to final product is getting longer and longer. Admittedly the line between an early product demonstration and a technology demo is blurred. Many vendors take a cautious approach and label the new announcements as technology demonstrations. Also technology demoes may never end in a product at all. Still, prospective users want to know when they can expect a launch date of a new product or at least know when limited availability will start for early users. Read more »

Heidelberger Druckmaschinen AG (Heidelberg) and Fujifilm Corporation announced last week that Heidelberg and Fujifilm’s Global Graphics Systems subsidiary have established a strategic partnership in the area of inkjet printing. For observers of digital printing for packaging, the news could be important because of the market role of each company: Heidelberg is one of the world’s top suppliers of offset presses for folding carton printing, as well as key workflow tools; Fujifilm is a major supplier of both offset and inkjet technology, and has leading role in CTP, workflow software and other pre-press technology. The partnership could result in Heidelberg’s marketing of an existing Fujifilm inkjet system for packaging or, longer term, the development of other printing presses based on Fujifilm technology. Read more »

A few years ago, you could not turn around without hearing or seeing something about digital printing. The noise has quieted down, but the changes keep on coming.

Offset press manufacturers now send out a press release every time they sell a system because it is such a unique event. There is still a good market for offset presses, but it is smaller that ever and getting smaller.

Komori and KBA were the only press makers at the PRINT show. Komori actually had a press. “Find us by following the noise,” I was told.

Digital printing volumes are growing nicely, but no one notices. Read more »

In a further sign that Landa is moving closer to beta testing and production, today Landa and Komori announced that the companies have extended their alliance through a formal licensing agreement. In addition, Landa has ordered production units of the Komori sheet-fed platform for use in the Landa S10, which is going into beta testing early next year and is expected to be delivered to customers in the fourth quarter of 2014. Landa added that it would be using Komori’s sheet-fed platforms for all of its sheet-fed Nanographic printers.

Yoshiharu Komori and Benny Landa

Landa said that since drupa its engineers have been evaluating proposals from European and Asian sheet-fed press vendors. Landa signed partnership agreements with three companies at drupa: Heidelberg, Komori, and manroland’s sheet-fed division. While other sheet-fed platform providers may have been considered in addition to these three, today’s announcement confirms that Komori has come out on top. Komori surely had an edge going into the evaluation process since it provided the sheet-fed platforms for the Landa devices shown at drupa.

Today Landa Digital Printing announced design adjustments to the Landa S10FC and S10C while also noting that the S10FC would enter beta testing in the fourth quarter of 2014 while the S10C beta would begin beta in the first half of 2015). The most visible design adjustment is a shifting of the large touch-screen user interface to the backend of the device.

Landa S10C with the operator cockpit at the left by the delivery; to the far right, the print engine and feed unit

Note: The Landa S10FC is the folding carton version and the Landa S10C is for commercial and publishing printing. Both devices are capable of producing 6,500 four-color B1-format sheets per hour with a maximum paper size of 29.5 by 41 inches (750 by 1050 centimeters). The S10C is also duplex capable and has a rated speed of 3,250 sheets per hour when printing on both sides.

One of the big news stories from China Print 2013 is a technology demonstration by MasterWork and Taichuan of a sheet fed UV inkjet-based digital color printer with a print width of 420 millimeters. This is the first color inkjet model of its type from a Chinese vendor.

Benny Landa was at EFI’s Connect event in Las Vegas this week and as part of a fireside chat with Guy Gecht and a separate meeting with the trade press and industry analysts he provided a status update.

Market progress — Landa reported that his company had signed 430 letters of intent (LOI), a significant portion of them coming with deposits. These LOIs were from all over the world, including quite a number from Asia Pacific. He noted that the company was on track with product development and expected to have its first product in beta testing at the end of 2013. This will be the Landa S10 cut-sheet, B1-format device, which Landa said was the most popular configuration. Landa also said that the platform’s print resolution has been increased from 600 to 1,200 dots per inch. Read more »

Though his Landa Corporation did not exhibit at Graph Expo, Benny Landa was in Chicago showing analysts and press some nanographic print samples whose quality was much improved over what was shown at drupa. My biggest complaint with the Landa samples at drupa was the streaking, and that has been reduced significantly since May. Landa described the company’s progress on quality using an S curve to track a period of development, followed by rapid quality increases starting around the time of drupa 2012. He said that there would be significant improvements between now and China Print 2013. According to Landa, as quality climbs on this S curve, it reaches quality levels achievable by offset lithography.